Reflected shock tube studies of high-temperature rate constants for CH3 + O2, H2CO + O2, and OH + O2

The reflected shock tube technique with multipass absorption spectrometric detection of OH-radicals at 308 nm, corresponding to a total path length of approximately 2.8 m, has been used to study the reaction CH3 + O2 CH2O + OH. Experiments were performed between 1303 and 2272 K, using ppm quantities of CH3I (methyl source) and 5-10% O2, diluted with Kr as the bath gas at test pressures less than 1 atm. We have also reanalyzed our earlier ARAS measurements for the atomic channel (CH3 + O2 --> CH3O + O) and have compared both these results with other earlier studies to derive a rate expression of the Arrhenius form. The derived expressions, in units of cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), are k = 3.11 x 10(-13) exp(-4953 K/T) over the T-range 1237-2430 K, for the OH-channel, and k = 1.253 x 10(-11) exp(-14241 K/T) over the T-range 1250-2430 K, for the O-atom channel. Since CH2O is a major product in both reactions, reliable rates for the reaction CH2O + O2 --> HCO + HO2 could be derived from [OH]t and [O]t experiments over the T-range 1587-2109 K. The combined linear least-squares fit result, k = 1.34 x 10(-8) exp(-26883 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), and a recent VTST calculation clearly overlap within the uncertainties in both studies. Finally, a high sensitivity for the reaction OH + O2 --> HO2 + O was noted at high temperature in the O-atom data set simulations. The values for this obtained by fitting the O-atom data sets at later times (approximately 1.2 ms) again follow the Arrhenius form, k = 2.56 x 10(-10) exp(-24145 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), over the T-range, 1950-2100 K.